The Alzheimer's Disease Center Core (ADCC) will build upon and enhance the resources available at Emory to create a foundation upon which research on Alzheimer's disease (AD) will grow. To facilitate this growth, clinical and research activities on the Emory Campus, nearby Wesley Woods and VA Medical Centers, as well as Grady Memorial Hospital in downtown Atlanta have been coordinated. The Administrative Core is organized to foster a collegial and stimulating environment with maximum interaction of ADCC and other investigators. In a setting of quality patient care and family support, the Clinical Core will provide a well characterized population of AD patients and cognitively normal individuals thus creating a comprehensive database from which clinical, epidemiological, and basic scientific studies will emanate. Proactive minority outreach will be emphasized by clinical and educational initiatives in cooperation with community and other groups. Capitalizing upon the strengths and interests of Emory faculty in the genetics and biochemistry of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and oxygen radical damage to DNA and its repair, we have added a Molecular Biology Core to the ADCC. This core will assist in the metabolic and genetic characterization of AD patients and control subjects of varying age and provide new opportunities for AD research. The Neuropathology Core will supply brain and other appropriate tissues from well characterized dementia and control cases to the Molecular Core and to other investigators through maintenance of an active brain bank for acquisition, storage, handling, and distribution of tissue. Neuropathological information will be pooled with clinical and biochemical and genetic data to provide a sound base for clinical and basic scientific investigations. Participation of epidemiologists and biostatisticians from the Emory School of Public Health will support ADCC study design and analysis. The Education and Information Transfer Core will provide innovative programs for professionals caregivers and other lay groups. In combination with strong institutional and community support, the Emory ADCC will be catalyst for new research in AD.